An Emotional First Date
by Angelic Guardian
Summary: 15-year-old Riley Anderson is about to go on her first date, and as expected, her emotions are running rampant. Oneshot.


**Author's Note:** This movie was sheer brilliance from beginning to end. I loved it so much that I was inspired to write my own little story. Hope you enjoy. :)

 **Disclaimer:** Inside Out © Pixar

* * *

At fifteen years old, Riley Anderson had blossomed from the goofy, hockey-loving child she once was into a mature, happy and fun-loving teenage girl whose love for hockey had only grown stronger over time. Only, now, she had a number of other new hobbies and interests that accompanied her teenage years, including hanging out with her friends, listening to music and, yes, even daydreaming about boys.

The beginning of her young adolescence had proven to be a challenging time in Riley's life, as she found that her emotions were unpredictable more often than not. In fact, as she entered into the key developmental stage in life known as puberty, she discovered that she had a long road ahead of her in terms of dealing with not only physical changes, but emotional ones as well.

She'd often get moody for seemingly no reason at all, and, although it was frustrating at first, she came to learn that it was only normal. There were certain things surrounding puberty that were a bit embarrassing, and that was when she'd turn to her mother for advice specifically. She'd also learned that there were many wonderful things associated with growing up, which only became more apparent when Riley got asked out on her very first date.

And, of course, the moment she accepted, her emotions went wild.

"Great. Just great. What is she going to wear?" asked Disgust. "Maybe her black sweater with a tank top and a denim skirt? Ugh. No. Not cute enough!"

"Oh, my gosh, what if he tries to hold her hand, or put his arm around her, or…or… _kiss her?"_ asked Fear, hands in his mouth, rapidly chomping on his fingers.

"If that boy tries anything funny with Riley, he's going to get slapped _real_ good!" said Anger, smacking a fist into his palm.

"This is only the beginning of years and years of heartbreak for Riley. I just know it," said Sadness.

Joy stood at the center, uncharacteristically quiet, round blue eyes bouncing from one emotion to the next as each of them went through their own outpouring of all the possible things that could go wrong on the date.

"What if he takes her somewhere dangerous?" asked Fear. "Riley could get hurt!"

"Forget that," said Disgust. "What if they go out to dinner, and Riley gets food stuck in her teeth? She can't risk having to face such a high level of embarrassment, _especially_ not in front of a boy she likes!"

"That settles it," said Anger. "We've got no other choice. We need to call the whole thing off. I'll come up with a juicy, insulting text to send the kid that'll make him regret ever asking Riley out in the first place." He marched to the control panel, wiggling his fingers over the buttons, a wicked grin stretching across his face.

"No, let _me_ handle this," said Disgust, pushing Anger aside. "The message should have a sarcastic, passive aggressive tone, and sarcasm happens to be my specialty."

"Well, maybe Riley could explain to him that she's changed her mind about going out with him because she doesn't want to do anything that will hurt their friendship," said Sadness, timidly sidling up between Disgust and Anger. "After all, nobody wants to lose a friend over a failed attempt at a relationship."

"That actually makes sense. Relationships are scary. Riley's not ready yet. Maybe next year. Or, I don't know, in twenty years," said Fear as he looped himself over the other three emotions, stretching his long limbs to try to take control.

"Hey, hey, back off, I said _I'm_ in charge!" said Anger, swatting Fear's hands away. Fear yelped, and Anger cringed.

"For the last time, I can handle this," said Disgust, and she reached for the lever, just as Sadness delicately placed her hand on top of hers.

"I don't mean to pry, but I really think it should be me," said Sadness.

"Get away, all of you!" said Anger.

"Make me!" said Disgust.

"Ah! Stop yelling!" said Fear.

The four emotions wrestled one another, a tangle of blue and green and purple and red.

Meanwhile, Joy silently observed the ruckus before her, a contemplative hand to her chin and the other on her hip. As her fellow emotions jabbed and fought with one another for control, she finally decided that it was time for her to step in, and so, she brought up her hands and clapped them together once, as loudly as she could.

The four emotions simultaneously froze, before collapsing to the ground in a pile of shapes and colors. Anger emerged first, vigorously rubbing his head and snuffing out the flame that had begun to flare. Fear popped up next, trembling fiercely and trying his best to compose himself. Disgust got up and shook her head as she smoothed out her dress and checked her nails for any chips. Sadness finally willed herself to get to her feet, shoulders slumped as she sniffled and wiped her nose with the back of her hand. They all looked at Joy expectantly.

"That's more like it!" said Joy, voice brimming with her usual positive, can-do attitude. "Now, listen up, everyone. I realize this is a tough and confusing time in Riley's life, but we all knew this day was coming ever since we activated the Puberty button over three years ago. And, yes, I'll admit that it hasn't been an easy road for Riley. There were body changes, mood swings, and, let's not forget the time right around Riley's thirteenth birthday, when she got her first—"

"Stop!" said Anger, holding up a thick red hand. Fear had already thrown his hands over his ears and clamped his eyes shut, while Disgust wrinkled her nose in anticipation of what Joy was about to say. Anger waved his hand. "No need to bring that up. We've already conquered that dark and unspeakable time during Riley's adolescent life, and we're still forced to experience it once a month, so there's no need to go into details, _capiche?"_

There was a breath of silence as Joy nodded in understanding, only for the silence to break as Sadness said, "Her period."

Disgust, Anger and Fear all groaned in unison. Fear was on the brink of passing out, while Disgust seemed to be doing all in her power _not_ to vomit. Anger dug his fingertips into his head, attempting to quell the fire that was threatening to erupt.

"Sorry," said Sadness half-heartedly.

Joy offered her friend a soft, reassuring smile. "It's okay, Sadness," she said. "Anyway, my point is, dating is a new part of Riley's life, but it's not something we can delay any longer. If Riley's ready, then it's only fair that we're there for her every step of the way. After all, we work better as a team, right?"

The four emotions exchanged wary glances, before they said in a reluctant chorus, "Right."

"And," said Joy, "we all want what's best for Riley, right?"

Another beat of hesitating silence, until they finally muttered, "Right."

"Which is exactly why we're not going to cancel the date and avoid a new and exciting milestone in Riley's life just because we don't know what to expect," said Joy. "Riley's going to go on this date with an open mind, and we'll make sure she has a great time! But, I can't do it without you guys, so I'm counting on all of you. Riley's counting on all of you. What do you say?"

More silence. Disgust flicked her hair, Fear bit his nails, Anger scrunched his brow and Sadness only frowned. They all exchanged more looks, their expressions gradually softening, and the grin on Joy's face grew larger as hope swelled amongst them.

"I say," said Disgust, "we'd better help Riley pick out an outfit, like, _now."_

* * *

While she had an eye for fashion and her own unique style, Riley Anderson was still much more of a tomboy than a girly girl. She had an aversion to flowery blouses, pink dresses and uncomfortable heels. Instead, she opted for trendy clothes that were both chic and practical.

Tonight, however, wasn't a typical night out with friends, grabbing pizza with her hockey teammates or going ice skating with a group of classmates. She was going on a date with her crush, Danny Martin. They'd been friends for a year and had a lot of classes together. They'd exchange biology notes and sometimes flirt with each other at lunch. He'd compliment Riley's smile, and she'd blush and only smile wider. They'd hung out before, but only in group settings. This was their first date, a huge night for Riley, and she'd chosen her outfit accordingly. She wore a nice pair of dark blue jeans, a striped v-neck shirt and black flats. She'd brushed her hair and put a small bow in it, and she wore a touch of makeup.

Now, she waited by the front door, while her parents sat in front of the TV, pretending like they weren't secretly watching their daughter as she anxiously chewed on her cuticles.

"Okay, seriously, that's enough biting her nails. It's gross," said Disgust, pushing Fear out of the way and lowering the lever he'd been clutching.

Riley made a face and dropped her hand. The doorbell rang, and Fear immediately cranked the lever back up. Riley's eyes widened as she let out a soft breath. He was here.

"Oh, no! It's happening! Forget it, she's not ready! Abort! Abort!" said Fear, scrambling at the knobs and buttons, prepared to have Riley run up the stairs and pretend like she wasn't home.

When Joy stepped in, though, Fear immediately stopped, finding himself oddly soothed by Joy's warmer than usual smile as she gently grasped his hands. He slinked away, allowing Joy to take control as Riley opened the door.

"Hi, Danny!" greeted Riley, her mood brightening.

"Hey, Riley," replied Danny. He was a good-looking boy, shaggy black hair and crisp blue eyes. He, too, was dressed casually, donning a plain black t-shirt, jeans and white sneakers. "You look really pretty."

"Thanks, you too," said Riley, only for her cheeks to redden. "I mean, not _pretty._ Handsome. Yeah."

Danny chuckled good-naturedly, and Riley relaxed a little.

"C'mon, let's go," he said.

Riley nodded, following him out.

"Have fun, sweetheart!" said Riley's mother.

"Not _too_ much fun," said Riley's dad.

Riley quickly shut the door behind her, not wanting her parents to embarrass her. She and Danny walked together, the awkward tension chipping away little by little as they fell into pleasant chit-chat about the latest happenings at school. Joy observed the two of them with wondrous eyes, her cheeks raised in a grin.

"I'd say it's going pretty well so far," said Joy. "They're getting along great. See, not so scary after all, huh?" She playfully nudged Fear, who jumped.

Disgust, meanwhile, was far from impressed. "Where's he taking her, anyway? It better not be somewhere boring like the movies."

"Yeah, especially if they're going to see one of those dumb little chick flicks. Man, I hate those!" said Anger, arms folded tightly.

"Mini golf," said Sadness, pointing to the screen. They all looked up to see the sign, and ahead they could see the plush, fake green lawns of the miniature golf course, twisting like a maze and filled with large windmills and colorful obstacles.

"Ooh, how fun!" said Joy as she leapt in the air and twirled, only to come back down to rest her elbows on Anger's head. He grit his teeth and growled, and Joy popped back up with a laugh. "Whoops, sorry!"

"He'll probably let her win," said Sadness in her usual dreary tone.

"Or, he'll show off to try and impress her," said Disgust with a scoff.

"Whatever, it doesn't matter," said Anger. "Either way, Riley's going to use her hockey skills to hit way more holes in one than this chump."

"Guys, guys, remember, it's not about winning," said Joy. "It's about having fun!"

"Yeah, yeah. Let's show him how it's done," said Anger, grabbing two levers and cranking them up full force.

Riley's naturally competitive edge flared as she smacked the ball with her golf club and sent the tiny ball flying. It hit the windmill and shot in the opposite direction. Fear screamed and grabbed hold of the levers, jerking them forward. Riley ducked as the ball sailed past her head and hit a wall, landing on the ground and rolling down a long ramp until it fell into the golf hole.

"Wow," said Danny. "Nice shot."

Fear panted, while Anger grinned smugly. Joy pressed a button, and Riley giggled, cheeks flushing slightly.

As the game progressed, the sun dipped in the sky, darkening into night. After the game ended, Danny treated Riley to ice cream, much to Joy's delight and even Disgust's rare approval. Danny and Riley were finishing up their cones as Danny walked Riley home. One hand clutched the cone while the other hung at her side, swinging in tandem with her footsteps. Danny boldly took Riley's hand, and Riley gasped.

Fear was in control again, eyes bugging wildly and hands braced to have Riley let go of his hand. Yet, as he glanced over at Joy, her expression kind as always, he relented. Riley smiled, and with that, they walked hand in hand, the mood light and calm. It wasn't until they finished their cones and approached Riley's house that Fear was back on deck, ready to once again take the reigns at any given moment.

"I had a great time with you, Riley," said Danny. "You're a really good golfer."

"Thanks," said Riley. "I had a really nice time, too."

"Cool. So, would you maybe want to go out again sometime?" asked Danny. "We could go bowling."

"Sure!" said Riley in an eager tone, only to catch herself. "I mean, yeah. Yes. Sounds like a lot of fun."

They smiled at each other, and when the lighthearted moment faded between them, a new feeling began to fill its place. It was an exhilarating energy, drawing them closer, inch by inch, and as it was happening, Riley's emotions came to life all at once.

"I knew it! He's going in for the kiss! Oh, my god, he's actually going to do it! I CAN'T WATCH!" said Fear, throwing a hand over his eyes and pulling at his purple skin, the other pressing a button that sped up Riley's heart rate.

"That does it," said Anger, reaching for the controls. "Time for Riley to give this kid a well-deserved smack upside the head."

"Good idea," said Disgust with a nod. "Then Riley can turn her nose up at him with a huff and stomp away."

"And maybe she can have a good cry about all of this later," said Sadness.

"Fine, but first let me smack him," said Anger, grabbing a lever.

"Wait!" said Joy, pointing to the screen. "Look."

They all snapped their heads up to look at the screen, only to find that it was going dark as Riley's eyes drifted shut. Fear's eyes, peeking through his fingers, stretched wider than ever before, his other hand hovering over the fight or flight response, until Riley and Danny's lips met in a simple kiss.

The emotions found themselves too in awe to speak. Fear and Joy exchanged a profound look, before Joy placed her hand on top of Fear's and pressed a button. Riley's heart fluttered as she drew back and opened her eyes, her cheeks warming as she grinned really big.

The five emotions stood motionless, Joy and Fear's hands still interlaced, when a familiar sound of glass marble rolling against metal railings caught everyone's attention. They looked to see a core memory of Riley's first kiss—yellow with a trace of purple—sliding into headquarters and traveling up the tube, bringing to life a new island. The emotions rushed up to the glass as the island sprouted, filled with hearts, flowers, chocolates, laced fingers and a boy and girl kissing.

"Boyfriend Island," said Fear, hands pressed to the glass.

Joy brought her own hands together, thoughts of what was to come filling her mind.

"How wonderful," she said, looking forward to it all, more dates, more kisses, more firsts, even the heartbreaks, as they'd all be there to help Riley through it together.


End file.
